Forum home› Problem solving
This Forum will close on Wednesday 27 March, 2024. Please refer to the announcement on the Discussions page for further detail.

ACER

AnnieanenomeAnnieanenome Posts: 35
in Problem solving
My lovely Acer has failed to produce any leaves on about a third of it. It is about 20 years old and was in a pot until 4 years ago. Another couple of young acers have what I can only describe as wilted leaves. I can't see any bugs/aphids and at a loss what to do. Can anyone help to save them. 

Posts

  • Pete.8Pete.8 Posts: 11,340
    I hope it's not, but it could be verticillium wilt
    https://www.rhs.org.uk/advice/profile?pid=255

    One of my acers has it.
    It's still growing well, but due to the amount of dead wood I have to remove it's more like a multi-stemmed shrub now. It still looks good.
    A key indicator is black 'bruises' on some branches which have dead leaves at the end

    Another cause maybe just drought if the ground was dry for a long time sometime over the last year. If it's the latter, it should recover

    Billericay - Essex

    Knowledge is knowing that a tomato is a fruit.
    Wisdom is not putting it in a fruit salad.
  • FairygirlFairygirl Posts: 55,117
    It's probably been a result of the colder winter, and very dry spring in many areas.
    If they get dried out they'll wilt.
    Wind causes foliage to frazzle up and drop too. 
    Branches dying off isn't uncommon in those conditions too. 
    They're plants which prefer a shadier, damper location to do well. They can cope with some sun, especially the purple varieties, but if they get dried out, that's hard for them to thrive, whether mature or young. 
    It's a place where beautiful isn't enough of a word....



    I live in west central Scotland - not where that photo is...
  • PerkiPerki Posts: 2,527
    It looks like it may have the odd bud on some of the branches. Acer are prone to verticillium wilt where branches die off, did it show any signs of stress last year?  
  • AnnieanenomeAnnieanenome Posts: 35
    Perki said:
    It looks like it may have the odd bud on some of the branches. Acer are prone to verticillium wilt where branches die off, did it show any signs of stress last year?  
    At the end of the bare branches there are signs of tiny buds, but not sure if they are live. Loathe to cut the branches off until I am sure it won't recover. It was fine last year. We  did have a couple of bad frosty nights here which is quite unusual for this part of the country. 
  • dappledshadedappledshade Posts: 1,017
    edited May 2021
    One of my acers looks similar.
    It was grand last year, not stressed at all.
    Its a dwarf flamingo variety.
    Half the upright branches have dried out and the little leaf buds have never developed. One branch has a blackened section 3/4 of the way up, but is in leaf above.
    I cut one of the dead looking branches off, but the wood inside seems healthy to me.

    I’m planning to leave it until I can prune it safely, in winter, but it will look odd for a time.
  • AnnieanenomeAnnieanenome Posts: 35
    I also have a blackened section. Just a bit loathe to prune it out. Think I'll leave it until next year and if it doesn't recover I'll need to prune the branches out and hope it recovers.  
  • dappledshadedappledshade Posts: 1,017

Sign In or Register to comment.